A New Way to Grade and Compare America’s Schools

SchoolGrades.org uses an international standard of excellence to
grade how well America’s schools prepare students in core subjects.

66,908 Schools, One Standard

We apply a rigorous national standard to state testing data so that parents can more accurately compare schools’ performance, no matter where they live.

A Fair Way to Compare

We account for each school’s economic profile, giving extra credit to schools that serve economically disadvantaged students and holding schools that serve affluent students to a higher standard.

A Global Perspective

Our grades are based on how each school would rank internationally in comparison with the performance of students in more than 60 countries on the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) exam.

Our Grades

To calculate our grades, we begin by looking at the percentage of students in the school who qualify as proficient on state math and reading exams. We then follow a three-step process.

Apply a Rigorous National Standard

We adjust the percentages of students who qualify as proficient on the state exams to align with a rigorous national standard.

Adjust for Students’ Economic Profile

We then account for the percentage of students in the school who are economically disadvantaged.

Assign the Final Letter Grade

Finally, we assign a letter grade based on how the school performs relative to international performance benchmarks.